


When You Come Back

by NobodyOfficial



Category: DC Comics, Justice League International (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Character Death, Possible Spoilers, a bit though I tried, not very canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 01:16:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13179273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NobodyOfficial/pseuds/NobodyOfficial
Summary: Michael just wants to visit his friend before he goes away for a long time...





	When You Come Back

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a superhero fic and I can't afford many comics, so I apologise for any mistakes.

The sun's beams had barely pierced the curtains when Ted heard someone knocking at his door. He rose groggily, pushing his hair out of his eyes, and shuffled to the door. It had been a long, draining week and he had some important work to do tomorrow; all he wanted was to go back to bed. Numb fingers fumbled with the keys as he struggled to unlocked the door.

Just as Ted was about to tell whoever was knocking on his door at this ungodly hour to go back to sleep the knocker barrelled into him, wrapping him in a tight hug. He strained his neck to see who had attacked him, but saw only a gold T-shirt and curls of light blond hair. Michael. Who else?

"I was sleeping," Ted grumbled, but he relaxed and allowed Michael to hug him even tighter. His grip was desperate and shaky and Ted began to wonder if something was wrong.

"I'm gonna spoil you so much," Michael sighed into his curls. He leaned down to kiss Ted on the forehead. "What do you want to do? Anything at all?" His smile was bright and eager but his eyes were so red and sunken it looked like he'd been crying for years.

"Are you alright?" Ted asked.

"Me? Fine! Great! What do you want to do?" He beamed down at Ted.

"Why?"

"Because you're my best friend and I want to do something nice for you." Michael placed a hand on Ted's chest and his eyes glazed over slightly. He shook it off. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Well," Ted glanced back across the apartment, "I really just want to go back to bed. I'm tired."

"Oh." For a moment Michael looked dreadfully disappointed, but then he was grinning again and guiding Ted towards his bedroom. "Of course, I'm sorry for calling so early, of course you want to go back to bed." He followed Ted into his bedroom and sat down at the end of the bed while Ted climbed under the covers.

"Are you going to sit there or..." Ted trailed off. Michael just stared at him. "I guess you can get in the bed if, if you like." They'd had sleepovers before, but those usually didn't involve much sleeping nor did they start at five am.

"Thanks." Michael lay down beside him, placing a hand on his chest.

"What are you doing?" Michael was studying Ted's face carefully, barely even blinking. Ted thought that if he did he may descend into tears.

"Feeling your heartbeat," Michael whispered.

"Ok," Ted chuckled. "Let me know if it stops then, alright?"

"Yeah." There was no humour in Michael's eyes. "Yeah, I will."

-

When Ted woke up again the sun was glaring overhead and Michael was still lying beside him, one hand on his chest, but now his eyes were closed. There was a pained expression on his face, like he was having a nightmare, and Ted reached out to wake him. "I'm not asleep." Michael opened his eyes and immediately made the effort to smile. "What do you want to do?"

Ted wriggled on to his side to face Michael, closing his eyes again to enjoy the cozy, morning feeling. "I dunno. I was going to have breakfast or a shower or something." Then he added suspiciously, "What do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want to do, of course!" Michael got up and stood beside the bed. "I can make you breakfast. Or run you a bath! Wait, you don't have a bath, I can... Run you a shower?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Ted chuckled. "I'll just go take a shower. You can do whatever you like."

Leaving a more than slightly anxious Michael in his bedroom, Ted took a slow, relaxing shower and dressed in an old tracksuit. He'd used to be quite resentful of his old clothes, but recently he'd realised they were warm and comfortable and incredibly kind to his soft figure. It wasn't about shame, it was about whether or not the button on his pants wanted to cut a hole in his abdomen or not. He much preferred when it didn't.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he stumbled into the living room, "I needed a long shower toda- Hey, what're you doing?"

Michael was stood proudly over the table. "I made you breakfast, and coffee, and fresh orange juice." He offered Ted a small stack of pancakes. "Here!"

Ted smiled slightly at his friend's enthusiasm. "That's sweet, but I really have to-"

"Eat three healthy meals a day so you have plenty of energy to kick ass later." Michael sat him down, gently caressing his hair when he was sure he was distracted. "Starting with breakfast." He sat down beside him.

Knowing there would be no arguing with Michael, Ted started on the pancakes, which were oozing with syrup and covered in sprinkles. They looked like a heart attack.

"I got the recipe for birthday cake flavoured pancakes from an IHOP," Michael explained. "I thought you might like it, cause you like cake."

"That just makes me sound fat," Ted said around a mouthful of pancakes. Not only did they look like a heart attack but they tasted like one too, and they were amazing.

"Well, you are a bit. But it's great though!" Michael backtracked immediately when he saw Ted's crestfallen expression. "I'm serious. You always look nice."

Worry clouded over Ted's mind and he blurted out, "You're not dying, are you?"

"Sorry?"

"You're, you're not dying?" He repeated shakily. "The compliments, the food, wanting to spend time with me, are you going to die soon?" He stared worriedly at his friend over the rim of a coffee mug.

For a moment Michael grew pale and stuttered, before finally spitting out, "No, no, of course not. I'm not dying. No one's dying," he said firmly. "Can't I just spend some quality time with my friend?"

"Not without teasing me or laughing at me or joking around." It was true that Michael often complimented him and made him dinner and wanted to hang out around his appartement, but he also liked to make jokes at his expense and pinch his chubby cheeks and laugh at him.

"I'm sorry about all that," was all Michael had to say. "I hope I never upset you, or anything. You're a great friend."

"Are you trying to ask me out, then?" Ted grinned, downing the rest of the coffee and moving to take his plates to the sink. Michael leapt up to do it for him. With a satisfied smirk he plopped himself down on the couch. "Are you?"

"You're very attractive, Teddy." Michael began to wash his dishes for him. "And we get along well. And I love spending time with you. But you're going away tomorrow, I only want to miss you as a friend."

Ted was aghast at this response. Usually Michael was eager to tell people he was not gay for Ted (but kissed him on the cheek the moment they turned their backs) but here he was all but admitting his love for him. It had to be some kind of joke. Ted played along. "I won't be away for long, and it can't be anywhere near as dangerous as the mission we've just been on. Don't worry."

"I know that." Michael sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. Ted had never noticed before how romantic this gesture was, but shrugged and leant against his friend's shoulder anyway. "We'll just see what happens when you get back, alright?"

"A-alright." Ted waited for the punch line. None came.

After a moment of silence Ted reached for the TV remote and started to channel surf. Michael seemed uncomfortable beside him, fidgeting and watching him closely.

"Are you really not doing anything today?" He asked as Ted, too stubborn to open up the menu, started his surf again from channel one.

"I'm exhausted, I really don't want to. What is it you want to do? You haven't been thinking about mortality and how we only have a few years to do what we like before we die and all that bullshit again, have you?" Ted thought he was far more deserving of an existential crisis, since he wasn't a time traveller.

"Not quite." Michael's voice was so melancholy. "Enjoy your channel surfing, at least."

"Alright, you weirdo," Ted scoffed.

He watched TV for so long he fell asleep, resting gently against Michael's shoulder. When he woke up again Michael was stroking his hair and watching the sun set out the window, eyes filled with tears. Ted wanted to comfort him, but decided to keep still and see what happened. Michael exhaled slowly, kissed the top of Ted's head, then blinked his tears away. Michael's entire disposition today was giving Ted an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Like watching me sleep today, don't you?" He rumbled, stretching and moving to the other side of the couch.

"Sorry." Michael quickly straightened and rubbed his eyes. "Want to get some pizza or something?"

Ted had barely moved since he'd got up that morning, so was in absolutely no danger of burning any calories, but pizza sounded quite good. He was setting off for Europe tomorrow and was pretty sure he'd have to endure at least a week of non-stop action there, so figured he may as well enjoy his one rest day. "Sure. Extra cheese, please."

Ted waited for a joke about how he didn't need extra anything on his pizza. Instead he got an, "Of course," and a hair-ruffle.

When the pizza arrived Michael attempted to make conversation about physics and acrobatics, two topics he knew very little about but which certainly got Ted talking. Then again, almost anything could get Ted talking. He attempted to ask again why Michael was being so kind all of a sudden, but his question was brushed off in lieu of more enticing conversation topics. By the time Michael had exhausted ever species of beetle he knew and allowed Ted more than his fair share of the pizza it was well past midnight.

Ted walked Michael to the door where he stopped to stare at him one last time. "Your eyes are really interesting," Michael said. Ted didn't know how to response. "And I've always liked the way your hair flicks. You're better than me at everything and you always beat me in a race and I'll never be able to walk a tightrope."

"Ok..." Ted didn't know whether he was suppose to reply or not.

"Your whole body shakes when you laugh, and you always get scared when I touch your ribs that I'll tickle you, even though that's ridiculous because we're adults. I've never hugged anyone as warm or as comforting as you, and I've never met anyone who cracks such lame jokes." Michael sighed deeply, then looked Ted right in the eyes. He knew Ted's past, present, and future and you could tell with just one glance. In that moment he knew Ted better than he knew himself.

"Take care in Switzerland, alright?" Michael patted Ted on the shoulder, then gave in and went for a hug. He held on for just a little too long. "I'll bring you some flowers, when you get back."

"Why?" Ted blushed. He liked flowers. They were scientifically fascinating and it was just a bonus that they were pretty and smelled sweet. But he wasn't going to tell Michael that.

"Because you're pretty dumb, for a genius." Michael's eyes were welling up again. He leaned towards Ted, as if to kiss him, and Ted decided that if Michael did want to kiss him, because of whatever strange mood he was in today, he would allow it. Instead he lifted his head and planted a lingering kiss on Ted's forehead. "Stay safe, I'll see you soon." His voice wavered.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Ted asked. "You can stay a bit longer, if you like. Is there something you'd like to talk about?" He reached out to grab his friend's arm but Michael was already backing away.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Probably coming down with something. Goodbye, Teddy." He turned his face away.

"Bye. We can talk when I get back, promise," Ted said kindly.

"Yeah, yeah. That'll be great," Michael smiled. Ted offered him a grin in return as he shut the door. "When you come back," Michael whispered softly, allowing his tears to thud against the carpet. "When you come back..."

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is everyonewholovesmehasdied and there's none of this stuff on here but you can come say hi!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


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